San Carlos, CA vs San Mateo, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricSan Carlos, CASan Mateo, CA
Population29,614103,105
Median Household Income$237,470$153,504
Median Rent$2,854/mo$3,077/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$1,618,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income36.2%44.8%
Poverty Rate3.3%8.2%
Unemployment Rate3.9%3.8%
Violent Crime Rate /100k181*168
Property Crime Rate /100k1,075*1,502
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs80°F73°F
Winter Lows41°F45°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute24.6 min26.1 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher21.219.7
College Degree Rate70.2%57.8%
Foreign-Born %25.9%36.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.8%-2.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.
* Rate of the agency that polices San Carlos (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.